Self-closing cock or faucet.



H. MUELLER L A. C.l SGHUERMANN.

0. B. am A..MUELLER, `EXBOUTORS of H. MUELLER, DEC'D,

SELF CLOSING COOK 0R FAUGET.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. i9, 1910.

Patented Deo. 3, 1912..

4 [madam .Af/22502 TJc/zvuerma State 0i' Illinois, didv during the lifetime of the said HENRY Monaten `iointly invent cer-4 tain new and usefui mprovements 1n Seli-l.

UNITED eTATns PATENT onrnion.A

HENRY MU'ELLER, DECEASED, LATE OF DECATUB., BY ORA B. MULLER AND ADOLPH MUELLEFJ, EXECUTOES, AND ANTON C. SCHUERMANN, 0F DECATUR, ILLINOIS, .AS-

SIGN'RS T0 H. MUELLER MFG. C0., GF DECATU'R, ILLINDIS, A vCC5RPORA'IION 0F Lofi-eeen.

SELF-GLOSING COCK OR IFAUCET.

- Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

Application led November 19, 1910.' Sera1 .No. 593,261.

MAN'N, a citizen of the United States, and.

resident of Decatur, county of Macon, and

Closing Cocks or Faucets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises a self-closing cock of the type in which the valve is opened bypushing the same, and the closure automaticaily eifected upon release of the same.

It will vbe apparent upon an understanding of the invention, thatl it is applicable in parts or as a Who-le to valves of other types. The invention aims to secure a cock in `which all Wearing and operating parts including the valve seat, could be bodily re moved from the casing Without lremoving the cock. To this end the seat, the valve and the valve operating means are mounted in a single carrying member and the carrier member is removablyV seated in the casing. The advantages of this arrangement should be at once apparent, for upon disarrangement or'vvearing out of any of the parts, they may be most readilyrenevved, Without the troublesome operation of removing the self-closing cock from the fixture to which it is attached. AParticularly in connection with lavatories this is .an important advantage sincev it is many times inconvenient to remove the cock from'its position.

Special structural features have been invented to aid in the making of the parts 'specified removable, and the parts carried by lthe removable member are so orgamzed'and this member is so shaped that the member and parts in themselves and independent of the casing constitute a self-closing cock, the casing serving primarily as a means of ,connectiono the carrying member to the supply and delivery pipes or outlets.

The invention aims further to increasethe operating eiiiciency'o the valve and cheapen its cost of manufacture.'

Herein are inaugurated special structural' and combination' ieatures to further these; ends. @hier among them may be mentioned` the provision of a pressure operating piston controlled ,by an auxiliary or pilot valve -for operating the 'main valve, and the location of the main valve `on the pressure side of the cock in which position it closes With the pressure, the pressure aiding in the closing of it. Thereis also formed the operating piston chamber of lesser bore at that p0rtion thereof in which the piston rests when in normal position than that portion of the chamber containing the piston when in the open position, in order that corrosion of the Walls in advance ofthe piston may not in* terfere with the operation ofv the valve. In the accomplishment of this invention it is applied to a `'number of specific embodiments, and in' the accompanying drawings, is shown one of these embodiments.

O the drawings :-Figure 1 is a central section of the self-closing cock, 'and Fig. 2

Wit-h the valve seat, and a` part. 14 having an@ opening through which the valve disk and its operating parts are usually 'inserted Usually the valvedisk and its operating parts are associated directly With'jthe part 14 of the valve casing. But insteadof this usual arrangement, the valve disk and its operating parts are arranged in a carrying member 15 which lits Within the member 14. Usually also the valve seat is carried bythe partition member 13, but this valve seat is mounted upon the lower AendY of the carrying member 15, so that the seatl as well as the valve, and all Wearingand operating parts may be removed at once by the removal Aoi? the carrying member 15. A

As shown the carrying member is cylindrical in shape, and fits snugly Within the part 14 of the casing, and its lower end is seated on the partition 13 above a central opening 16 Which is usually the valve opening. A Water-tight joint is formed between the end of the carrying member and the partitionll'by packing 17 or by any other' suitable means. The carrying member 15 is hollow andat its lower end is provided withv the conical seat 18, which seatit is to be noted is in this embodiment smaller than thel vinternal diameter of the. member, and the inner edge of the valve seat defines a valve opening. An opening 19 1n the walls of the lcarrying member above the valve seat per- 10.

mitsfree flowV of lwater fromone side of the partition 13 to the other as long as the valve opening is not closed by the valve.

Above the valveseat'the carryingmemberis bored out internally to form a piston chamber 20. A piston 21 is mounted in this chamber, and is provided with a reduced portion 22 projecting through .the val-ve opening, and carrying on its lower end on the pressure side of the cock a main valve 23A o .for coperati'on with the valve seat 18. It is to be noted that the valve 23 is of less area than the piston 21. Above the piston, but below the top of the carrying member is a diaphragln 24, An operating stem-25 passes centrally through the diaphragm and through the carrying member and throu-gh the piston 21. The area of-the cross section of this valve 'stem within the piston is iliade smaller than the' opening in the piston through whichv it passes, as shown inFig. 3 which is a section taken on line 3--3 of.Fig 1. .A second seat 26 is formed upon the main valve surrounding this opening, and a pilot valve 27 carried on the lower end of thestem controls the flow of fluid through this o-pening to the space below the diaphragm 24 on upper side.

'of the piston. The valves are held normally closed by a spring 28 between the diaphragm v24 andl the' enlargement or abutment 29.0n

the stem.

When it is desired to open the valve, thev steinjis presseddownwar'dly, and the parts are so arranged, (inthis instance by positioning the abutment 30 on 'the stem sot-hat it-is spaced away trom the piston 21 in closed position of the pilot valve 27 ),"that the pilot valve opens'irst upon'the downward vInovement of the stem. Fluid is thereby admitted to t-he top Side of the pistonl andthe piston is` forced 'downwardly by the pressure'of the uid, .thus accomplishing, or aiding in the accomplishingof the opening of the 'valve 23, whereupon fluid flows through the valve opening and around the reduced portion ofl h-rough the opening 19 at the v upon the lower end of the main valve 23 carside oithe piston, and` the -parts are all vsimple and ries the main valve to its sweat,` the fluid from .In order to ,prevent sticking of the main I' valve due to corrosion of the carrying member in the piston chamber below the piston in its normal position, chamber is enlarged belowA the normal position of the lpiston. i This vis clearly seen in Fig'. 1. It should also now be apparent that this invention produces an easily operated and most efficient valve. Owing to the operation of the valve through fluid pressure, a minimum pressure'of the hand on theoperating stem is required, and moreover the stem need'be made only so heavy as towithstand its ininimum pressure.y Structurally easily manu.- factured, mostof the work connected-with its manufacture being machine workwhich can .b e most rapidly` done byvery' rapid machines;4 And owing to the location of the the bore of the pistonv4 valve seat, the valve and the valve operating' f parts in' the carrying member the, entire group of these parts may be removed at once,A

any repalrs,` or rearrangement made' and whichis necessary. Normally the carrying* to its member is held 13 by a gland 33. carrying member prevents its being turned angularly, and insures :its being retained Vin its. position in which it is seated properly on seat on the partition v A projection 34 lfrom the 1 1 the partition 13. TheV lower part of the y carrying member which carries the valve seat 18 is made separate from the main body in order-that .the inserted and removed. kWhat is, claimed is:

In' a self-closing faucet,- the combination with a casing having an attaching-shank, an

outlet'spout, van outstanding hollow bodyV portion intermediate the ends of the casing, an aperture'd diaphragm in the casing at the inner end of the hollow body portion, anda cap detachably and adjusta ly mounted onr the -outer end of the, body portion, offa carry- 'ing member slidably engaging in the body portion and resting upon the diaphragm and held inV ositionV by the cap, said carrying member aving a valve seat at itslower end and an peningin one side above the valve seat,A the member further having a partition intermediatev its ends anda second opening in Asaid side above the partition, the inner diameter ofthe wall of the lower portion of the valve seat than adjacent saidv` partition, a

piston snugly fitting inthe lower portionv of lthe'carrying 'member beneath the partition.

piston '21 may b e readily the carrying member being greater adjacent I throu 'h the lower end of the member and the diaphragm of the casi-ng and having av second valve seat on its 'lower.end, a valve carried on the reduced extension and normally engaging-said first named valve seat, an operating stem located centrally in the member and extendingthrough the partition and the diaphragm and vthrough the piston, Said stem having a Shoulder midway of `its ends for engagement 'with the piston', a valve on the lower end of the stem for engagement with the second valve` seat, anda spring about the stem bearing against thepartition and against a second shoulder on the valve stem. 15 In testinony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two solo` scribing witnesses.

' ORA B. MUELLER;

ADOLPH MUELLER, E ecutors of the last wz'ZZunoZ testament of H. Mueller, deceased.

ANTON C. Witnesses:

ERIGK F. BREWER,v E. A. MANN.

SCHUERMANN. 

